Chattanooga shelter offers to neuter pit bulls

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) -- A Chattanooga animal shelter says it wants to reduce the number of unwanted pit bulls in the area so it is offering owners free surgeries to spay or neuter their dogs.

Karen Walsh, the executive director of the McKamey Animal Care and Adoption Center, tells WDEF-TV (http://bit.ly/UhjJWU ) that 42 percent of all the animals seen at the shelter each year are pit bull breeds.

Walsh said shelter officials aren't trying to ban the breed, but rather offer the service to reduce the number that end up the shelter. Walsh said the breed can often be mischaracterized as aggressive, but owners do need to raise their dogs properly.

Walsh said the shelter will perform the surgeries on 1,000 dogs for free and has already completed about 800.